Friends
by Red Raindrops
Summary: Oz is back in Sunnydale, and he feels he needs to have a talk with Tara. AU - O/E (original), T/W


Goes with my BtVS/HDM crossovers, but I settled for here in regular Buffydom since it only has an original character from the crossovers. Centered around Tara and Oz, and partially my character Emily.   
  
  
**Friends**  
  
  
Daniel Osbourne sat quietly in the living room of his apartment, staring blankly across the room. Next to him sat a woman with short blonde hair, who was petting, of all things, a mountain lion. She looked at him curiously. "Oz, are you okay?" she asked. He jumped slightly, then turned to look at her. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking, is all. It's weird, being back in Sunnydale. I thought I'd never come back after Willow." She squeezed his hand. "I see. Whatever happened between you two anyway, that made you leave?" she asked.   
  
Oz hadn't discussed much about Willow with his new girlfriend, Emily. They had met in England, when he had stopped to ask why a mountain lion was following her around the park. That lead to a lot of talking... About her old world, with dæmons, and his werewolf side that he was constantly keeping in check. They had talked about Willow briefly... That she was a witch, and he had left abruptly to find a cure for the werewolf inside of him. He came back, and she had found somebody else, so he left again. Emily hadn't asked for any more information. But when Emily learned that there were other people with dæmons in Sunnydale, she asked if he'd want to go back. And that left them where they were now, back in Sunnydale, now for nearly a week. Her friends with dæmons had visited every day... It turned out they weren't from the same world, but their common trait of having their dæmons outside their bodies left them with a good understanding of each other. Oz still hadn't let Willow, Buffy, and the gang know that he was back.  
  
"I told you, she found someone new," he said. She sighed. "Yes, I know that. But surely that's not the only reason you'd leave home again? You said yourself that she still wanted to be your friend." He nodded. "Yeah, she did... But you really wanna know why I ran?" he asked. "Yes, I do." He sighed. "Well... I came back. And I was told she didn't have a new guy..." "They lied to you?" she asked. He shook his head. "No. We're getting there. So I figured we could start over again, right? But she was really reluctant. And I went looking for her after one of her classes... And with my keen werewolf senses, I could smell her. But the scent wasn't from her, it was from her friend... She'd come by before to see if Willow was home, but ran away before I could get her. But Willow's scent... It was all over this girl. And she was wearing Willow's sweater... And then I knew. I knew why Willow had been reluctant... And they hadn't lied to me. There was no new guy, there was a new _girl_. Willow was in love... With this girl..." Emily stared at him. "You mean she's like gay or something?" He shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think of it like that. All I was thinking was that Willow had found someone else to love... It didn't really matter to me that she was a girl, though it explained a bit about the girl's actions around me. She knew I was Willow's ex, and she was afraid she was going to lose Willow. And I knew the feeling... The same way I got when I saw Willow kissing Xander. But I lost it then, in the hallway with the girl, Tara. I turned into a werewolf, in the middle of the day... After spending all that time learning how to fight it. The Initiative guys shot me and put me in a cell, wanting to kill me. Riley, Buffy's boyfriend then, got me out. But I realized I almost hurt the one Willow loved... What kind of person had I been? I would have hurt her too. I couldn't stay. I had to go, you see? There was a chance it would happen again... I was envious of Tara. She got what I couldn't have anymore."   
  
"I'm sorry Oz... But what about now? Could you go around them, again? What if your werewolf comes out again?" Emily asked. "It won't. I'm not envious of Tara anymore. I have you. I still care about Willow, sure. But if Tara truly loves Willow, which I'm sure she does, then she's the one that deserves Willow's love in return. I have yours.... I'm only afraid of what Tara thinks of me, actually. Willow would welcome me back immediately, but after what I did to Tara? I attacked her. I attacked her because Willow loved her, and she loved Willow back. Would sorry ever be enough? I really feel awful, Emily. I yelled at her, and I attacked her. I made her think she was going to lose Willow. Those are three awful things," Oz stated, sighing once more. "Oh, I'm sure she'd forgive you. She doesn't sound like the mean type. And anyways, maybe Willow isn't with her anymore?" Emily suggested. Oz laughed. "I'd be very surprised if they weren't still together. They were right for each other, I think. They fit together perfectly... Both witches, both a bit shy, and they did love each other. But I do wonder... Why don't I ever find the fact that Tara is a girl weird? Shouldn't I?" Emily shrugged. "If you don't, you don't. And good for you. I personally think it's a bit odd, but I wish that I wouldn't. Find out where they live. Do you know Tara's last name?" Oz shook his head. "No, I don't. But I can look up Willow in the phone book, then check out online who else has the number. See who Willow's living with." Emily smiled, "Good idea."   
  
***  
  
"I can't believe I'm doing this..." Oz muttered to himself. He'd found Willow's number, and looked it up online. She, Buffy, and Tara were living in Buffy's house. He remembered where it was, but had a piece of paper with the address written on it anyways. He was walking down the street, hoping that nobody would see him just yet, and hoping that they would be home. Once the house was in view, he started breathing heavier. "Get yourself together, Osbourne," he whispered, "This is Willow you're visiting. And Buffy. And the one you owe a big apology to. You have to do this."   
  
He gulped as he walked up the steps to the porch. Taking a deep breath, he rung the doorbell. For 30 seconds, there was no sign of life inside. "Oh great, they're all out," he cursed. But then he heard footsteps that seemed to be coming down the stairs. "Oh great!" he cursed louder inside his head, "Someone's _home_." And as the door opened, the pairs of eyes that met each other widened, and each person gasped.   
  
Oz was the last person Tara had been expecting to be at the door, and Tara was the last person Oz was expecting to answer it for him.   
  
Tara was absolutely frightened. She couldn't let out a sound, and if she had it wouldn't have been understandable through the horrible stutter that it would have come out as.   
  
"Tara?!" Oz exclaimed, as if he had not been expecting her to even live there. If possible, she looked even more frightened, and took a few steps back, almost falling backwards onto the stairs. "No! I mean... I mean... Tara... Oh God, Tara I..." "W-w-w-w-w-willow is-isn't here n-n-n-n-now..." she managed to get out. "That's okay, really it's okay... I was... I... I was hoping to talk to... to you, actually..." The blonde witch looked confused. "M-me?" she squeaked. "Yeah... Can... can I come in? I won't... I won't hurt you. Never..." She blinked at him, then quickly nodded. He stepped inside, and shut the door.  
  
In any normal circumstance, it would have felt odd to be back in the Summers' home. But this wasn't any normal circumstance. He was in the Summers' home, alone, with his ex-girlfriend's girlfriend, who was so terrified she could barely stutter. And, for one of the first times in his life, he was a little trouble spitting words out as well.   
  
"Lets... Lets go sit down. In the living room?" he asked. Instead of answering, she again nodded, and started off to the living room without him. They both sat down on opposite ends of the room.   
  
"Tara, I'm not here to get Willow back. I promise, she's yours. I'm here to say I'm sorry. To you. For what I did.... I... I'm really, really sorry." There. He had said it. It felt good to have it over and done with, but he was still awaiting the witch's reaction. "You're... s-sorry?" she asked, eyeing him as if she almost didn't believe him. "Yes. I'm extremely sorry. What I did to you was wrong... My whole presence, it hurt you, didn't it? You thought you were going to lose her... Heck, I know the feeling. It hurts, she's a wonderful girl and losing her really sucks. I don't know why I tried. I knew I'd already lost her, and it had been my fault... But seeing you... Smelling her all over you, it just triggered something, and I was so envious of you. But I'm really sorry. And I hope you guys have been happy, she deserves to be happy. You've made her happy, right?" For the first time the girl smiled. "Oh, yes... How couldn't I? And... t-thank you... I m-m-mean... But you... You don't w-want her back? You... you're h-happy?" He grinned. "No worries. I have a new girlfriend, Willow is all yours. We both get to be lucky ones. And I hope we can be friends? Because I'm back in Sunnydale with Emily, my girlfriend... Hopefully for good." Tara smiled again. "Of course... Of course we can... Be friends... And Willow and Buffy will be happy to see you when they get home..." she said. "Good. Friends..." he muttered, "Damn, you are a lucky one."   



End file.
